Casperey Stables

This is all that’s left of Casperey, the ranch where we had our horses for years and years. Some of my best memories are hosted here. It was owned by a family who lived on the property, whose house (now just a concrete foundation) matched that tiny little shed in the second to last picture. There was a play tower in their yard; I once was pushed off by a kid named Stephen and hit the slide as I was falling. I still have a scar from that day. Across the way was a smaller barn that housed the owner’s horses, who were used for lessons and the student show team. A tiny Shetland pony named Sugar was in the first paddock, right near the welcome sign. Adjacent to that was a stretch of stalls and paddocks, which housed some of my friends’ horses: Beau, Gypsy, Spirit – to name a few. Further down was the main barn, where we had our horses: Shawn, Spanky, Rowdy and Diablo.

Many of the kids were around the same age, and we were all a tight (and a little competitive) crew. At one time, we turned an abandoned tack room and paddock into our club house, and brought my pony Shawn and Cassie’s (the owner’s daughter) pony Macho to our not-so-top-secret location. There was a window for them to put their heads through, so they could join our club meetings, and we used the same window as an escape route, when unwanted trespassers came by. Just down the dirt road was a lake, where we all swam with our horses – and when the riding ring was empty, we played tag on horseback. The holidays were especially amazing; we always dressed our horses in costumes for Halloween and decorated their stalls for Christmas. Even on the most normal of days, everything was an adventure. I even ran away with Shawn when I was very young, roaming through the tomato fields until I panicked and went back. Throughout my tumultuous childhood, the ranch served as my sanctuary, and the horses were my absolute heroes.

Several years ago, the dirt road was replaced with a busy paved one, and the fields gave way to a Home Depot and an apartment complex. Casperey held strong through the changes, until the city offered the owners a sum they couldn’t refuse and everyone had to move. It’s strange, because they still haven’t done anything with the land – and the rubble from the demolished barns is still there. Though it was never the same after Spanky died, I still miss Casperey. I don’t know what kind of person I would be if it wasn’t for my horses, Casperey and the friends I made while I was there. Visiting what remains was an extraordinarily strange experience.

I spent the remainder of the day with my mom, Tessa and Bobby) at my mom’s store and then out to dinner. At my mom’s shop, I picked up a vintage hat, gloves, scarf and this ring (on my pointer). I’m still trying to convince her to start selling online, but she’s kind of clueless when it comes to anything on the internet, other than facebook. I’ll keep working on it.